Freshman Research Initiative (FRI)

Our Faculty

Research Educators (REs) & Principal Investigators (PIs)

Principal Investigators and Research Educators are Ph.D. level researchers that help develop research streams and serve as FRI stream leaders and/or FRI program coordinators.*
 

Stream Primary Research Discipline** Research Educator (RE) Principal Investigator (PI)
Aptamer Biochemistry

Gwen Stovall*

K-12 Pipeline Initiative

Andy Ellington
Autonomous Robots Computer Science Justin Hart Peter Stone
Behavioral Neuroscience Biology Thilini Wijesekera Nigel Atkinson
Big Data in Biology Computational Biology Dhivya Arasappan Hans Hoffman & Vishy Ayer
Bioactive Molecules Chemistry

Elizabeth Ilardi*

Associate Director & Communications

Stephen F. Martin
Biobricks Biochemistry

Soo Hyun Yang*

Stream Sort

Karen Browning
Biodiversity Discovery Biology Tom Devitt David Cannatella & David Hillis
Biomanufacturing Biochemistry Katie Hansen Andy Ellington & Brian Davies
Bioprospecting Biochemistry

Kasia Dinkeloo*

Operations & Safety

Andy Ellington & Jennifer Brodbelt
Bugs in Bugs Biology Jo-anne Holley Nancy Moran
Computational Materials Multidisciplinary Wenrui (Ray) Chai Graeme Henkelman & Gyeong Hwang
Discovering Signals Biology

Greg Clark*

K-12 Outreach

Stan Roux
DIY Diagnostics Multidisciplinary

Tim Riedel*

UT Inventors Director & Corporate & Industry Relations

Andy Ellington
EvoDevOmics Computational Biology Becca Young Advisory Board
Fish Behavior Biology

Mary Ramsey*

HSRA Co-Director

Molly Cummings
Gene Networks Biochemistry

Al MacKrell*

Peer Mentors

Scott Stevens
Geometry of Space Multidisciplinary Shyamal Mitra Karl Gebhardt
Glow Worms Biology Naomi Stolpner Daniel Dickinson
Magnetic Matter Physics Matt Dwyer & Peter Kampshroeder John Markert
Maker Space Multidisciplinary Rhiannon Morris Advisory Board
Materials in Color Chemistry

Tony Dylla*

HSRA Co-Director

Zach Page
Microbe Hackers Biochemistry Dennis Mishler Jeffrey Barrick
Plant Pathways Biology

Tony Gonzalez*

Advanced Research & Fellowships

Alan Lloyd
Practical Sensors Chemistry

Pedro Metola*

Admissions & Recruitment

Eric Anslyn, Andy Ellington & Richard Crooks
Quantum Computing Computer Science Noah Davis  Brian La Cour
Supra Sensors Chemistry

Diana Zamora-Olivares*

UT Wine Initiative

Eric Anslyn
Urban Ecosystems Multidisciplinary

Stuart Reichler, Mary Poteet, Ruth Shear*

Assessment & Accreditation

Advisory Board
Virtual Cures Biochemistry

Josh Beckham*

Peer Observations

TBD
White Dwarf Stars Astronomy Mike Montgomery Don Winget
X-Plants Biology Aleah Henderson-Carter Tom Juenger

** Many of our streams are multidisciplinary, but offer course credit related to a primary research discipline.

Former FRI Principal Investigators


  • Dean Appling
  • Zack Booth Simpson
  • Matt Cowperthwaite
  • Walter Fast 
  • Ronny Hadani
  • Kristen Harris
  • Christine Hawkes
  • Robert Jansen
  • Richard Jones
  • Jeff Luci
  • Pradeep Ravikumar
  • Jon Robertus
  • Nearl Rutledge
  • Paul Shapiro
  • Dionicio Siegel
  • Keith Stevenson
  • Robert van De Geijn
  • David Vanden Bout
  • Marvin Whiteley
  • Claus Wilke

Interested in starting a stream?


Launch a Stream